Diseases and Disorder of the Pericardium

Paper Summary:

This paper presents an assessment, history, signs, symptoms and treatment of the disorders of the pericardium - the part of the body which holds the heart to the major veins and arteries at its base and attaches to the sternum, and to the diaphragm. The author also makes use of illustrations.

From the Paper:

"It holds the heart in position as it pumps and provides the cardiac muscle with a protective cover. Within the fibrous pericardium is a pair of serous membranes. The inner surface is the parietal and the other that covers the hearts' surface, is the visceral. The sac contains a thin layer of fluid that permits the heart to move with minimal friction during the cardiac cycle. The fibrous pericardium and its inner serous lining are known as the pericardial sac, while the visceral is also call the epicardium (Nowak, Handford, 1999, p 231). Three pathologic responses to injury are; acute pericarditis, pericardial effusion and constrictive pericarditis."

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